Emma of Blois

Emma of Blois

• Daughter of Theobald I the Trickster, count of Blois and Luitgarde of Vermandois
• His overindulging in hunting and women offended her greatly. Around 990, he retired to a monastery. During the course of her marriage, she founded the monastery of Saint Peter in Bourguei and the abbey of Maillezais. Emma then ruled Aquitaine as regent for their son William V.
• Emma de Blois - Find A Grave Memorial

Project MedLands AQUITAINE

GUILLAUME de Poitou ([937]-Saint-Maixent [end 995/early 996], bur Abbaye de Saint-Maixent[374]). The Chronicle of Adémar de Chabannes names "Willelmum" as son of "Willelmo Capite stupæ" when recording that he succeeded his father[375]. "Ebulus…Lemovicensium sedis episcopus" donated property including "alodum…meum Baidon" to Saint-Maixent "pro remedio animæ…fratris mei Guillelmi, sive pro consolatione nepotism mei equivoci Guillelmi Aquitanorum ducis" by charter dated Jan [965/66][376]. He succeeded his father in 963 as GUILLAUME IV "Fier-à-Bras/Fera Brachia" Duke of Aquitaine, GUILLAUME II Comte de Poitou, lay abbot of Saint-Hilaire-de-Poitiers. "Guilelmus…Aquitanensium dux et cœnobii…Hylarii abbas" donated property to "clericus…Rodgarius" by charter dated Mar 967[377]. "Wilelmus…Aquitaniensium dux et cœnobii…Hylarii abbas" donated property to "Mainardo", at the request of "patruus noster domnus Ebolus, sancte Lemovicensis sedis episcopus atque…beati Hylarii archiclavus", by charter dated Jan 969, subscribed by "Adraldo vicecomes, Arbertus vicecomes, Kadeloni vicecomes…"[378]. At first a powerful duke, he led a dissolute life after the departure of his wife, became increasingly ill and fell under the influence of Madelme, an Italian doctor, whom he rewarded with a vast estate near Fontenay[379]. Duke Guillaume became increasingly religious following the return of his wife in 988, and under her influence the couple made donations to numerous religious establishments. "Guilelmus Aquitaniencum dux" founded a hospital near Saint-Hilaire de Poitiers by charter dated Jan 989, subscribed by "Emma comitissa, Guillelmi filium eius, Guilelmi comitis Engolismæ…"[380]. It appears that a reaction to these religious excesses set in, and the duke's wife left him once more together with their older son in 991[381]. Duke Guillaume abdicated in Jan 993 in favour of his son, and retired to the Abbey of Saint-Cyprien de Poitiers, later transferring to the Abbey of Saint-Maixent where he became a monk on his deathbed[382]. married ([968]%29 EMMA de Blois, daughter of THIBAUT I "le Tricheur" Comte de Blois & his wife Luitgard de Vermandois ([953]-1 Aug, 1004 or after). The Chronicle of Adémar de Chabannes records the marriage of "Willelmum" (son of "Willelmo Capite stupæ") and "filiam Tetbaldi Campenensis…Emmam"[383]. The Chronicle of Saint-Maxence names "filiam Tetbaudi Campanensis…Emmam sive Emelinam" as the wife of "Willelmu duce…Caput Stupæ…filium eius Willelmum"[384]. She inherited property near Vernon in eastern Normandy from her mother which she gave to the Abbey of Bourgueil in Aquitaine[385]. Her dowry in 968 was Chinon. "Vuillelmus dux Aquitanorum" donated property to Saint-Jean d'Angély for the soul of "…uxore mea Emma…" by charter dated [971][386]. She fled Poitou between 976 and 988 because of the adulterous behaviour of her husband[387]. "Ledgardis" donated property to "Sancti Petri Carnotensis ecclesiam", for the souls of "senioris mei…comitis Tedbaldi…patris mei Heirberti, Trecassini comitis", with the consent of "archipresule…Hugone et…comite Odone, filiis meis", by charter dated 5 Feb 978, signed by "…Emma comitissa Pictavæ urbis…"[388]. "Guilelmus Aquitaniencum dux" founded a hospital near Saint-Hilaire de Poitiers by charter dated Jan 989, subscribed by "Emma comitissa, Guillelmi filium eius, Guilelmi comitis Engolismæ…"[389]. "Willelmus Aquitanorum comes et dux et uxor mea Hemma et filius noster equivocus Willelmus" donated property to Saint-Maixent by charter dated Dec 992[390]. "Emme matris eius" subscribed the donation by "Willelmus dux Aquitanorum" of property to St Cyprien, Poitiers by charter dated [990/1004][391]. She confirmed her son's 27 Dec 1003 donation of Bretignolle to the Abbey of Bourgueil, but according to Richard she was still alive when her first grandson was born in 1004[392]. A necrology of Vendôme La Trinité records the death "Kal Aug" of "Emma comitissa, Burgulii"[393]. Mistress (1): --- de Thouars, daughter of ---. Richard recounts that Comte Guillaume IV had adulterous relations with "une jeune femme de la famille vicomtale" when visiting the vicomte de Thouars, which triggered his marital separation from his wife Emma de Blois[394]. The primary source which confirms this has not yet been identified.

Duke Guillaume IV & his wife EMMA de Blois had [four or more] children:

• a) GUILLAUME d'Aquitaine ([969]-Maillezais 31 Jan 1030, bur Maillezais, Abbaye de Saint-Pierre). The Chronicle of Adémar de Chabannes names "Willelmum" as son of "Willelmum" (son of "Willelmo Capite stupæ") and his wife "filiam Tetbaldi Campenensis…Emmam"[395]. He succeeded his father in 993 as GUILLAUME V "le Grand" Duke of Aquitaine, GUILLAUME III Comte de Poitou.
• b) EBLES d'Aquitaine (-[after 997]). "Willelmi comitis, Eboli fratris sui" subscribed the charter dated to [990/1029] under which "Aimericus" donated property "in vicaria Vicodoninse in loco…Armenteria" to St Cyprien, Poitiers[396].
• c) other children The charter dated [971] under which "Vuillelmus dux Aquitanorum" donated property to Saint-Jean d'Angély for the soul of "…uxore mea Emma…" also refers to "filiis ac filiabus ex nobis procreatis"[397]. The possibility that one of these unnamed children was the parent of Pierre de la Trémoille, first recorded ancestor of the la Trémoille family, is discussed in the introduction to the La Trémoille section in the document POITOU CENTRAL.

Links

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_IV,_Duke_of_Aquitaine Wikipedia - William IV, Duke of Aquitaine
• http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_IV._%28Aquitanien%29
• http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbatiale_de_Saint-Maixent-l%27%C3%89cole
• http://genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00020502&tree=LEO
• http://racineshistoire.free.fr/LGN/PDF/Aquitaine-Poitou.pdf
• http://www.friesian.com/flanders.htm#aquitaine
• http://genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00020502&tree=LEO
• http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/AQUITAINE.htm#Adelaisdied1004
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_Aquitaine
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_of_Blois
• http://genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00020503&tree=LEO
• Emma de France
• http://familytrees.genopro.com/534398/default.htm?page=family-Willi...
• https://www.houseofdarmenia.com/emma-duchess-consort-of-aquitaine/

Sources

• Nouvelle Biographie Générale. The date of 5 February 995 probably comes from Owen
• Bernard S. Bachrach, Fulk Nerra, the Neo-Roman Consul, 987-1040, (University of California Press, 1993), 268
• Owen, D. D. R. Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen and Legend. 1993.
• Nouvelle Biographie Générale. Paris, 1859.
• Lemovicensis, Ruricius; Limoges), Ruricius I. (Bishop of (1999). Ruricius of Limoges and Friends: A Collection of Letters from Visigothic Gaul. Liverpool University Press. p. 15. ISBN 9780853237037.
• "Would the grant of Aquitaine to John of Gaunt in 1399 have been inherited by Henry Bolingbroke had the latter not been exiled by Richard II?" at researchgate.net
• Klapisch-Zuber, Christiane; A History of Women: Book II Silences of the Middle Ages, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England. 1992, 2000 (5th printing). Chapter 6, "Women in the Fifth to the Tenth Century" by Suzanne Fonay Wemple, pg 74. According to Wemple, Visigothic women of Spain and the Aquitaine could inherit land and title and manage it independently of their husbands, and dispose of it as they saw fit if they had no heirs, and represent themselves in court, appear as witnesses (by the age of 14), and arrange their own marriages by the age of twenty
• Bachrach 1993, p. 267.
• Bachrach 1993, p. 268.
• Bachrach 1993, p. 48.
• Abel 2012, p. 823.
• Abel, Mickey (2012). "Emma of Blois as Arbiter of Peace and the Politics of Patronage". In Martin, Therese (ed.). Reassessing the Roles of Women as 'Makers' of Medieval Art and Architecture. Vol. 1. Brill.
• Bachrach, Bernard S. (1993). Fulk Nerra, the Neo-Roman Consul, 987-1040. University of California Press.
• Dukes of Aquitaine; Medieval Lands; Charles Crawley; (Retrieved 2018-10-01)
• Saint-Pierre Abbey (Bourgueil, Indre-et-Loire); Catalogue General de la France; 2006-08-30
• Dictionnaire géographique, historique et biographique d’Indre-et-Loire et de l’ancienne province de Touraine : par J.-* Carré de Busserolle,…. Tome I; Carré de Busserolle, Jacques-Xavier; 1878-1884; p358
• Central France, Bois, Tours; Charles Crawley; Medieval Lands; (Retrieved 2018-12-10)